Method of manufacturing valve stems



May 10, 1927 Re. 16,619

A. W. LIMONT METHOD OF MANUFACTUBING VALVE STEMS Original Filed July l3.1921 1 WIN//[//////////////////////////Qz 'z 26 /0 ti I? 16 w gwuento wMM Reissued May 10, 1927.

'UNITED STATES i Re. 16,619 PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER W. LIMONT, OF BBIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING VALVE STEMS.

original No. 1,446,468, dated February 27, 1923, Serial No. 484511,filed July 13, 1921. Application! reissue filed August 25, 1924.

This invention relates to improvements' in the method of manufacturingpneumatic tire valve-stems and resides more particularly in a method formaking such stems from tubing or shells drawn 'or welded.

The majority of valve-stems now upon the market are so constructed as toinclude certain specific structural features and standard sizes whichare more or less fixed by the standardization of the valve stem holesthrough the tire-rims of automobile wheels, and it is therefore my obect n the formation of a valve-stem in accordance with my presentmethod, to maintain so far as possible these required features in orderto per-mit the interchangeablty of such parts as are now largelyemployed n and upon valve-stems of this character.

These commercial valve-stems are of a general elongated externallythreaded' cylindrical form having opposite fiat sdes and a head upon oneend, and a reduced threaded end, forming a nipple arranged to receivethe standard pump coupling. These stems further include a centrallongi'tudinal opening, portions of which are enlarged to receive theinside .operative parts of the valve which are removably attached, andadapted to be renewed from time to time ao as occasion requires.

These commercial forms of valve-stems of standard dimensions, are all sofar as I know, made of solid stock, viz., short pieces of round bars orrods which in the formation of valve-stems are drilled out longtudinallyto form a passage therethrough,

including a valve chamber and other required features. The exterior isalso operated upon to form the head and to thread 40 the peripheralportions. This method of manufacture requires solid and comparativelyheavy blanks and produces a large percentage of waste, besidesnecessitating more Operations and labor costs.

The object of my present invention is to provide a manufacturing methodof producing valve-stems of the above class from hollow metal tubing ordrawn shells whereby the cost of production is materially lessened, toprovide a novel method whereby a shorter and lighter piece may be usedthan is now employed to produce a valvestern or casing of a particularsize and to utilize practically all of the material of said blank in theformation of the Valve- Serial No. 734,130.

stern thus requirng a minimum amount of material, and labor, andrelatively few operations.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method ofmanufacturing commercial forms of valve-stems, and wherein slightmodifications adapted for different forms of inner operative parts maybe produced with little variation.

lnthe accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, similarcharacters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures and of which:

Fig. l shows a side elevation of a piece of. tubing, of proper lengthand dimensions, from which a valve-stem may be formed in accordance withmy improved manufacturing method;

l `g. 2 shows a longitudinal section illustrating the same blank afterthe two end portions have been swedged to reduce their dameters as wellas that of the hole therethrough;

Fig 3 shows a like longitudinal sectional `V1BW of the same blank afterthe head has been formed upon one end by an upsettng or swedgingoperation;

Fg. 4 is a further longitudinal sectional View showing the next twoOperations upon the blank, viz, that of reaming out and threading thecap end portion 12 and of drlling out the hole in the headed end; V Fg.5 is a longitudnal sectional View of a complete valve including thefurther operations of surface threading and reaming hole to form apocket and interior threading for attachment of the valve member 23shown adj acent thereto;

F ig. 6 shows a modified form of Valvesten, and a removable casing, thelatter adapted to receive a valve and be detachably mounted in the valvesten;

Fig, 7 shows a longitudinal section of a blank made from a drawn shell;and

Fig. 8 is a cross section taken on line 8 -8 of Fig. 5.

In the carrying out of my improved method I may use either a` piece oftubing A or drawn shell A' of proper outside dimensons, having a centrallongitudinal hole 10 of suitable size to provide an annular wall ofuniform thickness, length and strength as shown in Fig. 1, to produce acommercial form of valve-stem. I prefer,

however, to use short pieces of brass tubing, which may be cut from longlengths formed in any suitable way to insure uniformity ot size as shownin Fig. 1, but it will be obvious that drawn shells, such for instanceas that suggested in F ig. 7 may be similarly employed with equally asgood results.

The first operation upon this blank A or A' is that of reducing theopposite end portions 11 and 12 as shown in Figs. 2 and 7 respectively,to lengthen the tube and form the outside diameter of its end portions,as well as the size of the longitudinal holes 10 in said ends,thereduced end portions 11 from which the head 13 is 'formed being madelonger than the other end 12 later to be threaded to receive the valvemechanism, and a cap to enclose the same.

The longer reduced end portion 11 is next upset or heade'd, 'in suitableforning dies, to produce the head 13 as shown in Fg. 3. This headingoperation also serves to close the hole 10 in the head end of the blankas is also shown in Fig. 3. This closed end is' next reamed out as shownat 14 in Fig. 4 to again form a continuous passage through the stem, asrequired to permit of the flow of air to a tire tube, not shown. Theopposite end 12 of the casing is also reamed out as shown in F igs. 4:and 5 to form the enlarged pockets 15 and 16 having two annularshoulders 17 and 18. The larger pocket 16 is threaded as indicated by 19to receive the assembled removable valve parte, shown in Fig. 5. Thethreads 20 may be then cut to 'receive the closure cap, not shown, andthe threads 21 on the body are next formed by either cutting or rollingas preferred and if desired the body of the stem may be fiattened onopposite sides as is customary.

In the method of making the modified 'orm o' stem shown in Fig. 6, thecap end 12 of the hole 10 is threaded as shown to accommodate a cas'ng22 which is adapted. to contain valve-mechanism. shown in Fig. 5, andthreaded for engagement with the threaded wall 19' in the end pocket 16'in the valve casing. This Construction shown in Fig. 6 will admit of theose of other commercial forms of valves of this general character and isobviously not limited to the particular make shown.

The internal thread 19 serves especially for the threadable connectionof the nut member 23 of the valve mechanism while the sleeve 24 restsagainst the inner shoulder 17. The second annular shoulder 18 forms avalve seatupon which the valve member 25 normally rests. The cont'actedneck portion 26 adjacent to the head is obviously formed by the firstswedging operation and is further shaped when the head is swedged and isthus made to conform to the commercial types of valve stems whose necksare formed by cutting away excess stock from solid metal rod asheretofore mentioned.

What I claim is:

1. The method of orming a valve-stem from a hollow metal body having ahole therethrough, which consists in simultaneously reducing the size otthe outer diameter of and the hole in one end portion of the body, thenforming a head upon the other end, next Operating upon the body toperfect a passage therethrough, and threading the inside and outside ofthe valve-stem.

2. The method ot torming a' valve-stem from a piece of tubing having ahole therethrough, which consists in simultaneously reducing the size o'the outer diameter of and the hole in one end portion ot' the tubing,then forming a head and reduced neck portion upon the other end, nextenlarging the holes in the ends and threading the inside and outside ot'the valve-stem.

3. The method of forming a valve-stem :from a tubular blank, whichconsists in first reducing the two end portions of said blank byswedging one end portion longer than the other, then swedgng a head onsaid longer end portion, next reaming out the hole in the ends of theblank to form an opening through the blank and finally in threading thesurface of the blank.

4:. The method ol' torning a valve-stem from a tubular blank, whichconsists in first reducing the two end portions of said blank by.swedging, then heading one of the swedged end portions, reaming out thetwo end portions to perfect a passage through the blank, and to formvalve pockets therein, and finally threading the reduced end and thebody portion of the blank; v

5. The method of forming a valve-stem, which consists in providing atubular metal blank of required size, then swedging one end portion andreducing the opening therein and forming a head and neck on said end,and finally internally and externally threading the stem to receive avalve and closure cap.

6. The method of forming a valve stem or casing, which consists in usinga relatively' light tubular blank of specific length, then drawing thetube longtudinally by swedging the end portions only, next heading oneof said drawn ends and enlarging the holes in the ends and threading theouter and inner surfaces.

7 The process ot' .making a tire valve stem or the like, which comprises'folding over upon itself the wall of a piece of tnbular stock at oneend thereof to form a flat disklike head, comprising a plurality oflayers of material. I

8. The process of making a tire valve stem or the like, which comnrisescutting a blank ot' suitable length from a piece of tubular stock havinga 'bore therethrough, and foldmg over upon itself, the wall oftsaidblank at one end thereof to form a fiat disk-like head, comprising aplurality of layers of material.

9. The process of making a ti re valve stem or the like, which comprisescutting a blank of suitable length from a piece of tubulastock having abore therethrough and folding over upon itself, the wall of said blankat one end thereof to form a flat disk-like head of two ply thickness.

10. The method of making a tire Valve stem or the like, which comprisescutting a blank of suitable length from a piece of tubular stock,reducing the exterior diameter of and the bore in one end portion, andthen folding over upon itself the wall of the blank at said reducedportion to form a fiat disk-like head.

11. The method of making a tire valve stem or the like, from a piece ofhollow tubing which consists in simultaneously reducing the size of theouter diameter of and the bore in one' end portion of the tubing anddisplacing the wall of the tubing at said reduced end to form a flatdisk-like head.

12. The method of making a tire Valve stem or the like, which comprisescutting from a piece of tubing of circular crosssection a blank ofsuitable length, reducing one end of the blank, displacing the wal atsaid reduced portion to form a two ply head, and formin o posite flatsides upon the body of the b anl 13. The method of making a tire valvestem from a piece of hollow tubing, which comprises simultaneouslyreducing the size of the outer diameter and the hole in one end portionof the tubing, and then displac ing the wall of a part of said reducedporton to form a flat disk-like head thereby leaving a reduced neckbetween the head and the body of the blank.

14. The method of making a tire Valve stem from a piece of hollowtubing, which comprises smultaneously reducing the size of the outerdiameter and the hole in one end portion of the tubing, and thendisplacing the wall of a part of said reduced portion to form a flatdisk-like head thereby leaving a reduced neck between the head and thebody of the blank, and formin opposite flat sides upon the body of thetu ular blank.

15. The method of making a tire valve stem or the like from a piece ofhollow tubing, which consists in simultaneously reducing the size of theouter diameter of and the bore in one end portion of the tubing anddisplacing the wall of the tubing at said reduced end to form a flatdisk-like head of two-ply thiekness.

In witness whereof, I have hereuuto set my hand this 21st day of August,1924. ALEXANDER LIMONT.

